Phelps and Wayne on ‘SNL’

Phelps and Wayne on 'SNL'

From a publicity perspective, the September 13 season premiere of Saturday Night Live, gets a gold medal. But, how good could it really be? The show announced this week that Olympic superstar Michael Phelps will host the first new episode of this Fall season, with musical guest Lil’ Wayne. Both of these men conquered their respective industries this summer, but how will they deliver in a live TV setting? Lil’ Wayne’s new album is the hip-hop record of the year so far, but can he bring the same mastery to a live network performance? I have bigger doubts about Phelps’ comic timing. Athletes always make for the oddest SNL hosts. Let’s face it: they aren’t entertainers, and usually come across as stiff or uninspired (see: Joe Montana, Wayne Gretzky, Lebron James, etc.).